digital motion graphics. technical log 101 aad

7/30/2019 Digital motion graphics. Technical Log 101 AAD

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Digital motion graphics - After Effects 101AAD

Animating motion paths

Adding text with the Type Tool selected I

move to the time line.Below - With the layer selected I expand the

Transform menu and add a key frame

position, by clicking on the stopwatch, at the

start of the time line.

Right- With the layer selected and the

first key frame placed I can move the

selected layer object in time along thetime line and a new key frame will be

added automatically.

Below - An object motion path will be

created. To change this path from

Bezier (curved) to Liner (straight) I

right click the key frame, selectKeyframe Interpolation and change the Spatial

Interpolation option.

(Bezier)


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Right the path is now Linear.

The path of the object will move at a

constant velocity, represented by the

red points on the path. To alter this speed

to create a naturalistic slowing down wecan right click the final key frame, select

Keyframe Assistantand choose Ease In, this will slow

the speed of the path as it nears this key frame. Picture

right the points compress towards the end key frame.

The key frame will now change to and arrow.

To influence the speed of this slowing down we can

right click on the key frame

and selectKeyframe Velocity

here we can adjust the

incoming velocity.

Advanced text animations:

With the text selected, from the top Adobe Premier pro tool bar we select

Animation Browse presets. This will open Adobe Bridge and from here we

can choose pre made effects

to add to the text.

These can also be selected

from the Effects & Presets

panel Animation Presets

Once you have found the desired effect, doubleclick it and it will be applied to the text. We then

expand the effect options and from here we can

alter the effects properties on the time line. With

the Range Selector highlighted the effects key

frames are open for us to manipulate, for

example: altering the effect start point.

Range Selector

The fade out

affect in

motion.


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How to draw shapes in After Effects and how to animate the buried practice

sequence.

Making sure we dont have a

layer selected, we select the

Rectangle tool; we check the Filland Stroke options where we can

set the color and stroke of the

shape.

Clicking and dragging in the composition

window for the desired shape.

If desired I

could duplicate

the layer with

Cmd + D.

As the camera moves down in our

Buried composition, the shapes appear

to move up, and to animate them

further so they move at different

speeds, we simply open each shape

layer and set key frame positions,

adjusting the shapes position in the

composition, thus affecting its

movement.

The

added Key frames

along the time line

and the adjustedposition of the shape.

As the time indicator

progresses the position of the

object is altered, making the objects to

appear to be moving at independent

speeds to each other.


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How to draw and adjust basic shapes in Photoshop

In Photoshop we select File

New. For this project we will be

using the Preset Film & Video

and we change the BackgroundContent to Transparent

because we dont want abackground on the objects we

import into aftereffects.

Next I open an image I want to

recreate to use in my After

Effects composition.

I drag this image into my New Photoshop

composition; this will place the image in a

new layer.

I select the original layer Layer 1 anddrag it above the new image layer

making sure this layer is highlighted, as

this is the layer I want to work with.

From the tool bar I select the Pen Tool which

will allow me to create a path in the

composition window. I check to make sure

Shape layers option is selected.

Using the Pen Tool I create a path around

the object on the layer below.


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I can then use the Convert Point Tool

to pull out handles on the points on the

path to make the path curved to match the

shape.

If I want to move the position of

one of the points I can select them

individually with the Direct

Selection Tool, from the tool bar.

This process can be repeated and each new

shape drawn will be created on its own

new layer

With the original layers, Layer Visibility

deselected, on the top tool bar we select

Layer Merge Visible.

We now have our shapes in one layer

ready to export for use in After Effects.

Effects for Backgrounds

First I will be looking at how to

create this fire effect background.

We create a new composition in

After Effects but we need a layer to

apply effects to, so we go to - Layer

New Solid, this will give us our

layer to work on.

I will be working with the Fractal

Noise effect as it is often the base for

the creation of many varying effects.


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I select Effects Noise & Grain Fractal Noise.

In the effects control panel I set

The Fractal Type to - Dynamic

Twist - and the Noise Type to

Spline.

Here I set the Contrast and

Brightness levels to get a deep

richness to the colors and create

dark areas.

Next Evolution - I set a Key Frame at the

start of my composition. Then move to the

end of the comp. and evolve the effect

through 360 . Now the effect will evolveas time progresses. Currently the image will

look something like this.

To set the color I open Effects ColorCorrection, and here I have many new options.

From here I select Colorama initially it will

look like a bad acid trip has appeared on

screen, so I expand the Output Cycle option here there are a number of presets, including

one for fire, which I add to the comp.


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Now I want to create more

movement in the composition.

Under the Fractal Noise expanded

menu we find - Transform

and if I expand those options I get

to - Offset Turbulence I set a Key Frame at the beginning

of the comp. and using the Offset

Turbulence marker in the comp.

window, or changing the setting in the effects window, I can

move the effect within the composition window and by

moving along the time line it will add key frames for the new

positions of the effects as they move in time.

Ghost Whisper

Now to create this wispy effect I

follow similar steps as above but

chance some setting.

I create a new solid green layer.

With the layer selected Effects Noise &grain Fractal Noise.

In the effects control panel under the Fractalnoise drop down menus select Fractal Type

Terrain.

Noise type Spline

Set the contrast and Brightness Set an Evolution Key frame and evolve the

effect in the time line.

I also adjust the Complexity of the effect; hereI use it to soften the image by reducing the

complexity.

Then select Effects Colour Correction

Tritone, to set the color.

I adjust the Midtones to the green I want.

It currently looks something like this.


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Now I expand the transform options

and uncheck the Uniform Scaling

option; this will allow me to adjust

the scale of the effects.

I greatly increase the scale width andheight, effectively zooming into the

image, picking out a small part of the

overall effect. These Scale options

could also be Key framed to have the

scale change over time.

To create this Red Goo effect

New Red Layer

add Fractal Noise

Fractal Type Dynamic Noise Type Spline

Set the contrast and Brightness

Set an Evolution Key frame and evolve the

effect evolve through 360

Now I set the Blending mode Multiply,which will multiply with my original solid

red layer set in the comp.

For some effects to work we need to Pre compose the effects to a new

composition. Now I select - Layer Pre-compose, this will compress this layer

and its current effects, this will allow us to add certain effects to this new layer.

In the Pre-compose options I opt to move all attributes into the new composition

and open in a new composition.

Gorgeous

Red Goo


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My image currently looks

something like this.

Now to add that glassy, shine effect.

Effects Stylize CC Glass

I expand the options for;

Surface

Light

Shading

Using the settings,pictured left, I can

give this new layer

a realistic look,

making the red goo

pulsate with life.

Backgrounds for specific genres

I can easily see this background I

created used in the title sequence for a

bond film. The flames symbolize

power and destruction, the colorsrepresent passion, anger, domination

and distrust, themes found in a bond

film.

And here it is, in the Goldeneye (1995)

Opening credits sequence.

This Ghostly background would be right at

home in a horror film. Strange eerie shapes

loom in and out of the darkness at you; this is

unsettling, instilling fear in the audience.

Black and white the only colors: black being

evil, powerful and adding mystery, white representing good and purity. The

white lost in a sea of black. A similar effect

found in the film The Others (2001), where

bit of images appear out of the darkness.


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This silky smoke would fit

very well in a Film Noir crime

thriller. The smoke

representing gun smoke or

the smoke from a cigarette,

often smoked by the films antihero detective. The silk effect

of the strands could also

represent luxury and the high

life or folds of the heroines

dress.

I created this green infections

slime effect with the setting

below.

This effect would work well with a Zombie film

like Re-Animator (1988) with the green re-animating liquid the doctor uses, and the gore of

the film.

Equally the red goo effect would be perfect

for the 1958 film The Blob. The Dark red

associated with blood, war, power, rage and

wrath.


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Blend Modes

Blend modes are another way we can combine elements, they allow

two layers to interact in unique and different ways. Blending modes

blend the color of two layers together.

To access the blend modes we right click next to Source Name Columns and check Modes, which will appearin the composition panel. Now we can move

through the different blending modes.

They are grouped in to general categories.

These modes generally darken an image These modes lighten the image These modes lighten light values and darken dark values (Bring colors to life). These modes are special effects

For example I take this retro picture and I want to make

it a bit cooler by adding some color.

I open the image in a new

composition create a new solid

layer (Cmd + Y) above it Layer

new solid, and add Ramp to this

new solid layer. Effects Generate Ramp.

(Ramp is great for skyscapes)

Now in this layer I have my Ramp options

where I can set the color of the ramp

and the ramp position markers can be

moved to change the ramp position and

direction.

I select my blend mode Multiply, from the menu

This blend mode is now added to the

layer and the layer now blends with the

layer below.

I also added a new text layer and select

the blending mode Divide.


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Ramp in effect again on this Sky - Blend mode Multiply.

Flashy transitions between video clips

We have two pieces of footage we want to transition

between. I open the file Filmclutter to use to createthe transition.

I put the Film clutter clip

in above my footage in

the composition and

make a copy of it by

pressing cmd+ d.

I align the layers as below and set the

blending mode to Add, this will grab the bright pixels of both layersand add them together.

At the point I want the two clips to cross, I cross over the film clutter

layer to create an almost solid layer of color, hiding the transition.

This clip needed to be reversed: layer time time reverse layer. This is because

the clip moves from solid light and fades

away, so by reversing this and copying it

back to back we get our complete

transition.

We can also get this same transition effect with a solid white layer.

Layer new solid. Placing the solid layer on top of the footage

and selecting the Add blending mode.

Then I key frame the opacity of

the white solid to fade in and out

creating a transition, from the

footage, building to solid white,

then fading back to the new clip.


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Masks

Masks remove pieces of a layer.

To create a mask we create a new composition, and with the

layer selected - select the Rectangle tool.

Now I draw a box on the selected

layer to create my vector mask.

Worth noting I can change the

mask mode here

To animate the mask I expand the mask

options and add a key frame at the start of

the composition.

To move the mask make sure its is selected

and using the Selection Tool (V) hover

over the Mask border and look for the

curser to change to black, now we can move it.

To move individual points on the Mask path hold shiftand select the points. With the Mask selected I move it

in the composition which will add a new key frame,

animating the mask.

To add text and animate it using a Mask

Text Tool - add my text to the composition.

With the text layer

selected, I get the

Rectangle tool and

draw a new mask.

I expand the Mask options get the selection tool (V)

set a key frame under the mark option move along thetime line, adding key frames as I move the Mask.


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Track Matte

Blending modes combine layers together; Tack mattes create transparency on

the layer below. They create transparency, but in a more subtle way. A Luma

Matte will knock out dark pieces of an image, and whats keptare the white

parts of the image. (Luma is brightness,

Saturation is color.)

I open an image in the composition

layer new - solid effects - generate

ramp, on the solid layer. Now under the

track matte option select Luma Matte

So I started with

this image of peas.

I created a new solid layer above it and

applied a Ramp (I also adjusted its

position with the ramp start and end

markers). Now under the track matte

option select Luma Matte, now the image

look like this

Then I add a new image of piece of footage below the Peas

image and now I have this bizarre city with a sky of peas

The Luma matte lets us see through the layers.

AnAlpha Matte: I take the same image

of Peas as above. I select the Text tooland add text which will be created in its

own new layer.

On the original Peas layer I select the

Track Matte mode Alpha Matte.

I could then create a new solid layer,

Ctrl + Y, and drop it below the image to

create a background.

Layers with transparency are often used as Alpha Mattes,

while layers showing variations in brightness (e.g. footage)

are often used as Luma Mattes.

Alpha layer is an empty layer, an alpha channel is transparent. A Track Matte will

knock out the alpha layer. The alpha channel basically controls the transparency

of all the other channels. By adding the alpha channel to an image you control the

transparency of the red channel, green channel and the blue channel.

digital motion graphics. technical log 101 aad

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